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About a month ago I bought a Roland HP103 and it sounds and plays perfect! But ... I have noticed something very strange and I wonder I some of you have had something like this and know what to do.

In these four weeks, it happened four times, that while playing one key/note (which differs each time it happened) is not reacting to the settings. One time it was a C on which the sustain wouldn't stop after I released the damper (so the C was "hanging") and one time is was a E on which the key touch was disabled (so it sounded hard en noisy within the music).

Does this sounds familiar to one of you? I haven't been back to the dealer so far.

You need to remember that ultimately this isan electronic device and things operateby the opening and closing of electricalcontacts that connect circuits. If you'replaying fast and furiously, then occasionallythere might be some electronic "quirks" duethe way you're pressing the keys (or pedal) that is not enabling the contacts to close or open.This is not unknown even on an acoustic piano,where there can be mechanical "quirks" due to the way you're pressing the keys (or pedal). I get some of these very rarely on my digital in certain passages where you're pressing, say, a third played with two fingers, followed very quickly by one of the same notes in the third played with the same finger. But this only happens when I'm being inexact with my technique, and at other times it doesn't occur if I'm playing it with proper technique (this is why playing on a weighteddigital is better for developing technique,because you need to be more exact withit than on an acoustic), so I personallydon't consider this a problem.

Another thing is that, strangely as it mightseem, there could actually be a kind of"break-in period" with a brand new digital,where everything needs to be "settled in"before it works optimally. But maybe thisis more a case of you adapting your techniqueever so slightly to the digital from whatyou're used to on an acoustic, in order tooperate the electrical contacts optimally.

If your piano is playing "perfectly," well, thenwhat's the problem if 4 notes in a monthof playing don't sound absolutely perfect? I'll bet on an acoustic you'd get evenmore notes that sound off--it's just thatbecause it's an acoustic you never thoughtof listening for something like this (ormaybe these are more noticeable on a digitalbecause its tones are so pure as comparedto an acoustic). However, if you're continuously getting strange "zingers" that seem to be generated electricallyat random by the machine, and not by the wayyou're pressing the keys or pedal, then thismight indicate something wrongwith the software or electronic components(or maybe something environmental, likecondensation on the contacts, or overheatingdue to blocking of cooling openings, orelectronic interference from some otherelectrical device), but this would be very rare on a digital, which is designed for durability and reliability and zero maintenance, and is thoroughly testedbefore leaving the factory.

Even if it is not a known problem already, and if it is common, it will trigger Roland's action if enough people report it.

Even if the problem is not common, and you run into it only intermittently, not only should you report it to Roland, you should also insist Roland to make a record of your call. This is helpful if the problem gets worse over time, which is likely. If your piano happens to be out of manufacturer warranty period, you'll have a record that the problem exists within the warranty.

I would document all the conversations with Roland (names, time, date, and contents). Remember, if it's not on paper, it doesn't exist.

Thank you all for your reactions. On one side I think, well, what is four times in a month, but as soldbear said, it can get worse.

I have a minidisc player and although it will take some time, I will try to get it on record, so that I have some "evidence". Next weekend I will go to my local dealer to get the right adress of Roland.

@Gyro, I have read your reaction carefully and some things sound reasonable. I haven't written down what I was playing when it happened, so it is hard to say if it has something to do with my technics. By the way, do you mean technical skills for playing a piano, or just for playing a digital?

Thank you all for your reactions so far .. and don't look at my English, because I am from The Netherlands.

Schizo, I meant that if you've been playing atan advanced level on an acoustic for many yrs.and then suddenly switch to a digital, thereis an ever-so-slight adjustment in techniqueyou'll need to make for playing on a digital.

I'm thinking that if the pieces you're playingare very advanced and at a fast tempo, and you'reusing the exact same technique on the digitalthat you used on an acoustic, then there mightbe rare instances--say, just 4 times in a whole month of playing--when, because of theway you're pressing the keys in certainfast passages, the electrical contacts cannotopen and close fast enough to keep up withyour fingers, or something like that--this might occur, for example, when the same keyis pressed rapidly twice in succession.(Note: you can get problems like this evenon a acoustic--for example, when playingin a recital on a piano with a much differentaction from the one you practice on--but because it's an acoustic you don't question it as something abnormal, butwith a totally new thing like a digital,you might be more critical about what you'rehearing, especially since a digital's sound is much purer than an acoustic's).

Well, yesterday I went back to the store where I have bought my digital. I tried to describe my problem. It sometimes happens that a key sounds much harder than it should be, due to a misplaced part of the mechanism, but than it should be continuously that error and on the same key. Unfortunatly, that is not the case, so it is probably a software problem. I had to do a factory reset and when that would not solve the problem my piano would be replaced by a new one.

When I came home I was playing for about an hour or so (after factory reset) and it happened again! I was recording the whole time, because I wanted it on tape, but offcourse the memory was just overloaded when it happened :S

Well, I had called the shop and they assured me that the piano would be replaced for a new one. They believed me on my word, good service.

It took some time (cause of christmas and new year), but three weeks ago the shop replaced my HP103 for a new one. I was very curious whether this one would not have the software problem and ... its okay No more strange effects!